When You Think No One's Watching
by EchoResonance
Summary: People act differently when they think they're unobserved. There is no greater example than Kyo Sohma, who portrays himself as tough as nails, but is more fragile than anyone else in the Sohma Clan. Of course, Tohru gets to see his vulnerable moments. But only Tohru. Kyo's very careful to be sure that no one, least of all Shigure or "that damn Yuki" is never around. Sequel's out!
1. Completely, Totally Insane

Moments of vulnerability were rare for Kyo. Not just rare: all but unheard of. And allowing people to witness these moments was even more rare for him. Yet two had. His sensei, the man who raised him and taught him and was the father that he had never, ever had from the man who shared half his DNA, and Tohru. Sweet, clueless Tohru, who had literally stumbled into the life of the Sohma family with no idea what she would find, and who had accepted them all unconditionally. She had seen Kyo at his most vulnerable. Many, many times. And each time, it bothered Kyo less that he had let go in front of someone, because she wasn't just _someone_ anymore. She was Tohru. His friend. His first, true friend, who did _not_ spend time with him because she felt pity, and who did _not_ avoid him because of his strange affliction. His sweet, clueless Tohru, who had unknowingly stumbled right into his heart.

"Yuki, I'm bored," Shigure whined from his young cousin's doorway. The young boy didn't even turn his head away from his desk when he replied.

"Shouldn't you be finishing your book?" he said blandly. "Your deadline is in two days."

"That's no fun," sighed the older man, plucking at his yukata.

"You're a grown man," Yuki growled. "Why don't you behave like it once in a while?"

Shigure pouted, then a mischievous light came into his eyes. With an overly dramatic sigh, he leaned heavily on the doorframe and covered his face with his hand.

"What's a grown man to do in a house full of high school students?" he moaned. "I suppose Tohru could always satisfy me, but then—"

A rush of air zipped past Shigure's right cheek, and a muted _thunk!_ sounded alarmingly close. Cautiously, the older man turned his head to look at the wall beside his head. A pencil was embedded about three centimeters, point-first, in the plaster somewhere near an inch from Shigure's ear, still quivering from the impact. Slowly the dog looked back at Yuki, to find the rat scowling at him with black fire in his eyes.

"Filthy dog," he growled, turning back around to do his work.

His mission of temporary entertainment from Yuki accomplished, Shigure quietly slipped from the room, wary of any more flying writing utensils. Idly, he wondered where Tohru was. She wasn't in the kitchen; he had just been there. Perhaps on the porch?

An impish grin on the strange man's face, he tip-toed down the stairs and through the main hall, very quietly sliding open the front door and peering outside. Aha! There was his little brunette. She was sitting on the far end, her feet dangling off the side. But she wasn't alone. No, a certain orange-headed boy was sitting with her, leaning back and propped up on his elbows. He said something that Shigure couldn't hear, and Tohru laughed. Now, Shigure could be dense, but not even Yuki's brother Ayame could have missed the fond smile that crossed Kyo's face when his companion giggled. It was accompanied by an almost imperceptible blush that made Shigure's smile grow wider. He very gently slid back inside, and closed the door. Then, sneaking as though trying not to wake a sleeping baby, he slipped into the room nearest the two on the porch, and went to the window, opening it just enough to let sound in, and then ducking down to avoid being seen. In the few seconds his adventure had taken, it seemed that their conversation had taken a less laughable route.

"—better than me at _everything_," Shigure heard Kyo mutter.

"Don't say that Kyo," said Tohru. Shigure could just imagine her reaching out to pat his shoulder or even his hand. "There are things you're better at."

"Yeah?" snorted the cat, clearly dubious. "Like what?"

"Well, uh…" Tohru muttered, suddenly tongue-tied. Shigure suspected she was more flustered because she was surprised at being asked the question, rather than because she couldn't think of anything, but Kyo took it the wrong way. Of course he did—didn't the stupid cat _always_ take things the wrong way?

"See?" he mumbled. Shigure risked peeking through the window in time to see Kyo look away from Tohru, out into the trees. "Nothin' special about me."

"That's—that's not what—" Tohru spluttered, now franticly trying to take back whatever she had said to offend him. "I mean, I just—I was just…surprised, is all. You don't usually, well, _ask_ me anything. You just kind of snort and then blow it off, if it's a compliment."

There was a heavy moment of awkward silence, in which Shigure could almost _hear_ Kyo's embarrassment at not only his initial response, but at Tohru's easy analysis of him just "blowing her off". His face was starting to hurt from all of that smiling.

Finally, Kyo broke the spell.

"…Sorry," he mumbled.

"What for?" said Tohru in surprise. Of course she was surprised. She never felt that she deserved apologies from anyone else, because she constantly tried to be responsible for everyone simultaneously. If something went wrong, even if it was completely out of her control, she would still blame herself. That was just how their sweet little Tohru was.

"For…blowing you off…all the time." It sounded like the words were hard for him to say, but coming from Kyo, those words were about as miraculous as the Sohma case.

The young girl outside laughed cheerfully.

"It's okay," she told Kyo. "I know that's just how you are."

Shigure smiled, but it wasn't his mischief-making smirk. It was a softer one, far more genuine, and it was for Tohru. She didn't realize how much what she had just said meant to Kyo or, indeed, to any of the Sohmas. For a complete outsider to not only accept their condition, but live with them and take care of them and _get to know them_ was an idea that was nothing short of impossible. Nobody stuck around them because they _wanted_ to. Nobody wanted to have anything to do with the Sohma clan unless they absolutely had to. It was part of the nature of their curse.

Yet Tohru defied those laws set upon them by Akito, their God. She stayed in Shigure's home, cooking and cleaning and gardening side-by-side with form-changing freaks, and it didn't ruffle her in the slightest. She looked at them as human beings with an unfortunate circumstance, but human beings nonetheless. And for Kyo especially, that was a big deal. To be accepted was all Kyo had ever wanted, and all he had never gotten. To finally find someone who accepted him, all of him, even the parts that he hated, was something momentous and wonderful and absolutely, wildly insane.

To hear the words _"I know that's just how you are"_ gave Kyo a happiness he didn't think himself capable of. Shigure knew this, because he had known Kyo since he was just a small child.

"So are you gonna answer my question?"

"Huh—what?" stuttered Tohru. Shigure heard Kyo give a patient sigh—the only patient sigh that he had ever known to come from the notoriously impatient feline.

"What exactly am I better than Yuki at?" the cat elaborated.

"Well, you're really a great cook," said Tohru at once.

"Gee, thanks," said Kyo sardonically. "I'm sure my rice ball-making capabilities will come in real handy trying to beat that damned rat."

Tohru giggled in spite of herself before continuing.

"You're better with people," she told him. Shigure stiffened, and he knew that Kyo had just sat bolt upright. His hair was probably on end from surprise as well.

"In _what world_?!" he exclaimed. Privately, Shigure agreed. Kyo was hardly a people-person.

Tohru giggled.

"Well, more people like Yuki," she began, "because Yuki tries to make everyone happy. He doesn't put himself out there very much, and just kind of goes with what the majority wants. You don't care about the majority. You say what you want, when you want, where you want, and how you want. That's just how you are. You act like yourself around others, so people know you better than they know Yuki. You're not as scared for them to see you. I think that makes you better with people than Yuki, because you communicate better."

Stunned silence followed her words. Then Shigure heard Kyo chuckle, softly at first, but then it grew into a loud belly-laugh. He could picture tears of humor gathering in the cat's eyes.

"Tohru, you're crazy," said Kyo, and the affection in his voice took Shigure by surprise, though the older man had long suspected the redhead's feelings toward Tohru. "Completely, totally insane."

"It's true!" Tohru exclaimed, and Shigure didn't have to see her to know that she was blushing.

"Thanks, weirdo," said Kyo, at a more conversational volume.

The older man inside peered out the window again, and an exclamation of shock nearly gave him away before it swallowed it. Kyo was leaning against Tohru, his head on her shoulder as though it was the most comfortable pillow. His wild orange hair looked to be tickling Tohru's neck, and his hand was just barely brushing hers. Tohru looked down at him, clearly as surprised—if not more so—than Shigure by the anti-social Kyo's action. When the girl, with a soft smile, leaned her cheek on Kyo's temple, Shigure couldn't stand it anymore.

"This is just too sweet," he snickered to himself, straightening up and flinging the window completely open. The _bang_ of the window flying open sent Kyo flying away from Tohru, his hair standing on end and his pupils contracting to slits. Tohru's cheeks were a little pink, but she seemed remarkably unflustered as she turned to find Shigure hanging out the window. She gave him a little wave. Kyo gave him a far less kind hand gesture.

"How come I never get to cuddle with Tohru," Shigure pouted. Tohru blinked cluelessly, but Kyo bowed up at once.

"Because you're a creepy old man!" he snarled, and his canine teeth had gone sharp like a cat's in his anger. He shook a fist at Shigure, who only smiled innocently, then disappeared back into the house, closing the window behind him. He skipped happily back up the stairs to Yuki's room, noticing as he entered that the boy had retrieved his pencil from the wall, leaving a small hole behind.

"Go away, Shigure," he growled.

"No one wants to play with me," Shigure sighed. "Why can't you spend some quality time with your cousin?"

"Go spend quality time with Kyo," snapped the raven-haired boy. "I'm busy! That stupid cat has to be around here somewhere."

"I can't," Shigure sighed. "Tohru's monopolizing him, and he doesn't even seem to mind. It doesn't seem right to interrupt."

Oh, indeed.

Shigure couldn't be sure, but he thought that Yuki might have paused just the slightest bit at the mention of Tohru and Kyo.

_Well, I've cause enough disturbance for one day_, thought Shigure happily, slipping out of Yuki's room without a word. He probably should work on that book. He liked to keep his editor hanging, but he did still need to pay bills.

"Oh, where's the fun in that?" he sighed even as he sat down in front of his computer. "Nowhere. Nowhere at all."

_**Ah, I love Shigure. However, Kyo is my one and only, whom I love with all my heart 3 lol I'm mostly kidding. So, what did you think? Should I continue it, or leave it as a one-shot?**_


	2. A Great, Big, Idiot

_**Real quick note, in the manga, and NOT the anime, when Tohru saw Kyo's true form, she ran after him. She threw up, and when she finished, she kept running straight after him. She didn't go to her mom's grave first, Akito didn't show up, and Shigure didn't come to talk to her. She went right after him, because she knew he was hurting way more than she was. Also, Kagura never followed Kyo when she found out initially. she ran away like a priss. Okay, that is all**_

"Hey, Yuki," called Tohru-s friend Uotani from across the classroom. "Where's Tohru? I haven't seen her this morning."

Yuki frowned. He had walked to school with Tohru and—God help him—Kyo, so he knew they were both there. Vaguely he recalled Kyo running in the direction of the bathroom, saying something about being sick, but Tohru obviously couldn't have gone with him. But now that he looked around, he realized that neither of them were sitting in their seats as they should have been, just minutes away from the bell. It wasn't highly unusual for Kyo to skip, but for Tohru it was unheard of. They had had to wrestle her into her bed to keep her home when she had a high fever, despite her many protests that she needed to be at school.

"I'm afraid I don't know," said Yuki quietly. "I think I'll go look for them."

"But you'll be late," cried one of the fanclub girls from the back of the room. "The bell rings in a couple of minutes! Prince Yuki, you can't miss class!"

He gave an artificial smile to the girl speaking.

"Thank you for your concern, but I can just borrow the teacher's notes if I come too late," he promised.

"You sure, Prince?" Uotani checked. She called him that mostly to tease him—she wasn't one to participate often in nicknames unless there was some secret fun to be had. Yuki nodded, and after packing up his things neatly in his school bag, he left the room.

It wouldn't take him long to find those two. The odds were high that Tohru was with Kyo, trying to pull him out of one of his moods again like she always did. That being the case, it was more than likely that Yuki would be able to find them on the roof, since cats often found high places to perch when they were bothered by something. He wasn't concerned about Kyo. Why should he be? It wasn't like the cat was in danger of injuring himself falling off of the building. Even if he was, it would be nothing more than entertainment for Yuki. No, what he was worried about was _Tohru_ falling off the roof. No matter how high the fences might be in order to prevent something like that, that clueless girl would find a way to tumble head-first off the school, and somehow Yuki doubted that Kyo could stop her in time.

Yuki was taking the stares two at a time when he paused, hand on the rail. Why did he bother? If Kyo didn't want to come to class, he wouldn't listen to Yuki telling him to, and if he didn't want to go, Tohru would stay with him trying to convince him otherwise. Why on earth did she put so much effort into helping such a hopeless cause like the cat? What reason could she have?

"That's just how she is," Yuki answered himself out loud, voice soft. If someone seemed like they needed help, she did what she could to help them. She was on the verge of _too_ nice, the way she worried about everyone else.

Yuki supposed that, whatever personal feelings he had for Kyo, the cat did need _someone _to care. Everyone needed _someone_, but for someone like Kyo, that someone was near impossible to find, for many, many reasons. The big reason was one of two secrets that Tohru had accidentally learned: the true form of the cat. It was one thing for her to accept the Sohma curse. It was quite another to embrace that monstrous form, tears streaking down her face as she cried _for_ him, and begged that he come back so that they could stay together as friends.

No one had ever gone after Kyo after they had seen his true form. Not even Kagura, who had run away in fear before approaching him much later. However much he may not like it, that had been a huge thing that Kyo had received, and he really did deserve it.

The class bell rang overhead, and Yuki shook his head. What had happened weeks ago wasn't important. He was just looking for those two so that he could drag them back to class. He resumed his brisk pace up the stairs, leaping over them three at a time now, even though it didn't really matter at that point, since he and the others were already late. He was almost at the door outside when he smelled it. Rotting flesh, as though something had died and been left behind to decompose. Yuki felt his stomach twist, for several reasons.

What was that damned cat doing without his bracelet?! Hadn't he been wearing it on their way to school? Thinking about it, it had been cold out. Kyo was wearing a long-sleeved jacket that could have easily hidden the missing item.

His hand was on the doorknob, and he was prepared to swing the door open and give both Kyo and Tohru an earful, when something stopped him. A slight feeling in his chest. It was gone in the next instant, but not before Yuki deciphered it. Curiosity? No, no, it was something entirely different. Could it be that he felt…_concerned_? For whom? Not for Kyo, surely? And yet…

Yuki knew that, of all the people to be disgusted, humiliated, by the cat's form, Kyo was the most ashamed. He would never willingly take off his bracelet. Most certainly not in a public place. So why…? Instead of slamming open the door like he intended, Yuki very carefully and very quietly cracked it open, just an inch, so that he might hear what was happening on the roof.

Rain pattered on the top of the school, making a wash of sound like white noise or static. The sounds of traffic drifted up from the streets as angry drivers honked, and someone peeled out from somewhere, trying to leave skid marks. But over that, Yuki could hear a soft voice. Tohru's voice.

"Kyo-kun," she said gently. "Why don't you have your bracelet? Did someone take it?"

Yuki heard what sounded like a grumbling whimper.

"Was it Kagura?"

This time, the answering sound was more of a growl.

"So it was?"

No noise, but Kyo must have nodded.

"Why would she take it? Especially when you have to go to school?"

Another garbled, alien reply. Yuki took it to mean _I don't know_. Tohru paused for a moment.

"Did she take it because of me?"

Kyo was silent again, which was the only answer anyone needed.

Kagura had tried to make Tohru feel unworthy of Kyo before, bringing up his true form and how brave she was for loving Kyo in spite of it. Something that Kagura didn't understand, though, was that loving only part of Kyo, and fearing the other part, didn't do anything to make him feel _better_. It made him feel worse, like it was impossible to love all of him. Tohru knew that without even having to ask. And everyone knew that she accepted Kyo, every part of him, including the parts that most people could never even look at.

"…I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Kyo made a noise that was probably confused.

"All I've done is cause you trouble," she told him, and she sounded incredibly close to tears. "With your sensei, with Kagura, even Akito. All I do is drag you down. I'm really, really sorry."

Yuki swallowed convulsively, and he thought he heard the cat do the same. There she was again; the Tohru who pulled everything onto herself, like she had to help everyone in the world, and then feel like she failed them when something went wrong. Yuki could just imagine her apologizing to the Americans for bombing Pearl Harbor.

"You're an idiot."

Yuki blinked. He hadn't realized the rain had been slowing down, but it had finally stopped falling.

"A great, big, idiot."

Kyo's voice was thick and shaky. Yuki could see Tohru's confused face in his mind's eye, and had to bite back a chuckle.

"You aren't _just_ a problem, Tohru," Kyo continued. "Sure, you're a pain sometimes, but other times…Other times…I'm really glad that…that you're around."

"But with Kagura—"

"I couldn't care less about Kagura," Kyo interrupted. "She is seriously crazy. The only thing she has against you is that you're my friend."

"Kyo-kun, I—"

"Apologize one more time, and I swear I'll hit you. I really will this time."

_No you won't_, Yuki denied immediately. Kyo would never hit Tohru. Even Tohru giggled, which meant that, despite her occasional cluelessness, she did know some things. Such as: the cat is really a big softy inside.

"Okay, I won't," she promised anyway.

"Good, it's annoying," Kyo grumbled. Yuki knew that Tohru was smiling, and Kyo was probably blushing and looking resolutely off to the side.

There was a moment of silence that seemed surprisingly comfortable, but Tohru broke it.

"So, I guess you won't come back to class, huh?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"No way," responded her companion. "If it starts raining again, I definitely shouldn't be in the classroom."

"Should I take you home?" asked Tohru, knowing full well that doing so would basically mean skipping school, and for once not caring much.

Kyo's face was stunned, Yuki was sure.

"You'd be missing school, Tohru," he pointed out.

"So will you," she answered. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Yuki couldn't help it. He slowly opened the door farther, and slipped outside just in time to see the surprised smile cross Kyo's face. The boy reached up and knocked his knuckles gently on the side of Tohru's head.

"I'm fine," he promised. "It's…a lot easier to handle…when you're with me."

Tohru smiled.

This was as good a time as any to interrupt. Yuki slipped back partially behind the door, like he hadn't just been spying, and flung it open as he almost had early. It slammed into the wall, and Kyo leapt up, his hair standing on end like a startled cat's. Tohru jumped a little and looked around, smiling warmly at Yuki. Kyo had a far less amiable expression.

"I've been looking for you two," Yuki said. "Class already started, we should head back."

"Kyo-kun's not feeling too well," said Tohru. "I think he should go home."

"It's just the rain," said Yuki, easily dismissive.

"I don't think so," said Tohru easily. "I want to call Shigure to come get him."

Kyo scowled silently at the rat, his nose twitching like an angry feline. If he had a tail, it would have been lashing back and forth behind him. Yuki looked him over coldly, their easy animosity surfacing the longer he looked. Any lingering feelings of compassion he might have held earlier already wiped away.

"Whatever," he said, turning to Tohru. "But he's not borrowing _my_ notes. Miss Honda?"

He offered his arm, but she just stared at it like it was a foreign object. Yuki laughed and instead took her hand. Tohru reached out with her other hand and caught Kyo's wrist before he could escape. Wearing a martyred expression, Kyo allowed Tohru to pull him along as they went back inside.

Shigure arrived so quickly to pick up Kyo that the kids had to wonder how many traffic laws he had broken. Saying simply _"It happened again" _over the phone to him was clearly the way to get a quick response. That, or he just wanted to see the high school girls.

Tohru waved after Kyo and Shigure as they hastily left the building. Kyo shook his head at her the way an indulgent parent would at a silly child. Shigure watched them both with the same expression, and even after the door closed, Tohru looked after Kyo, and Kyo looked behind him, like they could still see each other.


	3. Clueless and Clumsy and Pretty Stupid

"Why didn't you stay home, if Kagura took your bracelet?"

Kyo glowered morosely out at the cloudy sky, which once again threatened rain. Even if he couldn't see it, he could feel it. His bones ached, and his muscles felt heavy and useless. His mind was fuzzy, and he had this consistent itch on his back that he couldn't quite reach.

"Kyo?"

"Eh?" said the redhead absently, glancing up at his cousin, who was driving.

"I said, why didn't you stay home?" Shigure sighed. Kyo shrugged and looked back out the window.

"Didn't think it was gonna rain," he mumbled.

"Is that all?"

"Well, I didn't wanna worry anyone." His words were deepened by a heavy yawn.

"Anyone being Tohru, I assume?"

"Mm," said Kyo noncommittally.

Shigure knew it was a dirty trick, getting Kyo to talk to him because of the rain, but it was the only way to talk to the antisocial young man, and plus, he was really curious.

"Why were you concerned about Tohru?" asked Shigure.

"'Cause, if I stayed home, she'd freak out like she did when Yuki caught a cold. If she worried 'bout herself half as much as she worried about everyone else, she'd probably be considered conceited."

"Yes, you're probably right," Shigure acknowledged. "But is that the only reason you didn't tell her? Are you sure there was nothing else, besides the fact that you didn't want her to _freak out_, as you said?"

"What's it matter if there was something else?" wondered Kyo, trying to force some fire into his words, but failing miserably when another yawn overtook him.

"Just curious," said the driver easily, smiling at his passenger. Kyo looked at him, amber eyes hard, then he snorted and turned back to the window.

"—think it was her fault…"

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I said, she'd probably think it was her fault!" Kyo snapped, succeeding this time in sounding irritated. "She always blames herself for everything, and with Kagura, it usually does have _something_ to do with Tohru. I dunno. I just didn't want her to feel bad, I guess."

They were silent for a moment. Kyo gazed sourly at the people walking down the sidewalks as he passed, and idly scratched behind one of his ears. When Shigure let out a snicker, Kyo looked around sharply.

"What the hell's that stupid grin for?!" he demanded, glaring furiously at Shigure's big smile. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," chuckled Shigure. "You just really worry for Tohru, that's all. It's easy to see."

"Yeah, well who wouldn't worry about her?" said Kyo, voice low. "She's clueless and clumsy and pretty stupid sometimes."

"Would you like her if she was any different?" asked his cousin, and his voice took on the rare tone of solemnity. "Isn't it _that_ Tohru, the one we've come to know, that we love so dearly?"

Kyo huffed and said nothing. Shigure risked another peek at the boy, and was delighted to see that he was blushing darkly, his lips pressed into a hard line as he looked resolutely away. So it wasn't a case of a boy not knowing what he was feeling. Everyone, including Kyo, knew how Kyo felt about Tohru. Except, of course, Tohru.

"We're home," said Shigure, still grinning as he pulled up to the house. "Looks like Kagura's still here, too."

"She'd better be," Kyo growled. "I'll kill her."

"No you won't," his cousin laughed. They got out of the car, Kyo bristling under the feeling of the heavy clouds overhead.

"Yeah I will," Kyo argued at once.

"Kyo!"

Kyo scowled when a dark-haired young woman appeared in the doorway, grinning hugely with her hands clasped childishly in front of her. A spark of fury jumped in his chest when he saw that she was _wearing_ his bracelet. Either completely oblivious, or simply not caring about how angry she had made him, she pranced down the steps and attempted to throw her arms around his shoulders. He sidestepped her and lashed out, catching her wrist in a grip so tight that he probably cut off her blood flow. She looked over at him, startled, her lip pushed out into a pout. He said nothing. He just curled his fingers underneath his bracelet and tore it from her wrist, hoping his nails caught her as he did so. He was never amiable in the rain, or around Kagura, but the combination of both, plus the added bonus of her stealing his charm, made him on the verge of homicidal.

"Kyo, are you _still _mad about that bracelet?" said Kagura in shock. He didn't answer: just stalked up the stairs, sure that if he said anything, Kagura would turn into her violent, abusive self.

"Let him go, Kagura," said Shigure with a heavy sigh. "He transformed at school, in front of Tohru again. He's less than happy with you right now."

"Tohru ran away, didn't she?" said Kagura, sounding angry. "I knew it! I knew she wasn't worthy of him!"

"Shut _up_!"

The other two looked at the doorway. Kyo had paused, and gave Kagura a look of such deep loathing that even Shigure flinched. When he opened his mouth, his teeth had sharpened again, and his fiery hair bristled. She'd done it. She'd made him snap.

"Quit attacking Tohru!" he snarled. "She didn't do anything to you! What the hell is your problem with her?"

"Kyo…" Kagura mumbled. "I just thought…"

"No, you didn't think!" he snapped, and threw parting words over his shoulder as he escaped inside. "And no. Tohru didn't run away like _you_ did."

* * *

Tohru stared out the window to her left, finding it impossible to focus on the lesson. Was Kyo alright? Had he made it home safely? Or had he transformed again? Would he yell at Kagura when they got home? Would Kagura return his bracelet without a fuss?

"Tohru-kun," said Hana behind her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Your signals indicate that you're worrying about that redhead. Is he really sick?"

Tohru stiffened, and forced a laugh.

"Oh, well, yeah," she said, her voice rising in pitch. "I was just wondering if he was home yet. I'll make him some soup when I get back, then I'll—"

"Make him stay in bed," her friend finished. Tohru smiled bashfully.

"Yeah," she giggled.

"Hey, are you two talking about the cat-lover?" asked Uotani in the row next to them. "Where'd he go? Skipping again?"

"No, he went home," said Tohru. "Kyo wasn't feeling good, so I called Shigure to take him."

"You worry about him too much," said Uotani, but she couldn't hide a small smile. "It's kind of cute."

Tohru blushed madly, and sputtered incoherent nonsense as she often did when she was embarrassed or caught off guard.

"Ladies, please at least _pretend_ you're paying attention," sighed the teacher.

"Sure thing," said Uotani, stretching back in her seat. Hana said nothing, but Tohru figured that she had laid her head back down on her desk.

Pretending was all Tohru could do, because she was still very worried about Kyo and Kagura, because Kyo had a tendency to lash out, whether he meant what he said or not. She fiddled with her pencil, wondering what she should cook for dinner, and if she should make one of Kyo's favorites in the hope that he'd soften up a little. Definitely nothing with leeks.

Idly, she wondered where he was. Probably up on the roof. That was usually where he disappeared to when he wanted to get away from everyone. Tohru was the only one allowed to follow him up there.

"Tohru-kun?"

Tohru blinked, and looked around. People were climbing to their feet, taking their schoolbags in hand. Hana was the one who had spoken.

"Tohru, that was the bell," said Uotani. She didn't have her schoolbag.

"Oh, right," she answered, hastily shoving her things back into her bag and rising to her feet.

"Are you walking home with the Prince?" asked the tallest of the three. Tohru smiled but shook her head.

"No," she told her friend. "Yuki-kun has student council stuff to do."

"So you're walking alone?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Tohru-kun! Tohru-kun!"

Tohru and her friends looked around. Momiji was standing in the doorway, dressed as flamboyantly as ever and waving frantically at her. Hatsuharu stood behind him, looking rather bored. He waved half-heartedly at her.

"Hello Momiji," Tohru greeted the boy with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"We're gonna walk with you!" he said happily, and made to launch himself at her. Hatsuharu stopped him, catching the back of his shirt and holding him up in the air.

"Hey! No fair!" Momiji wailed. "I wanna hug Tohru-kun!"

"Not here," Hatsuharu sighed.

Tohru laughed. "You guys don't have to walk with me. I'll be fine."

"Nope," giggled Momiji. "We're walking you home! A pretty girl like you shouldn't be alone!"

Tohru blushed and said nothing, most likely incapable of speech.

"Well, looks like you're in safe hands," Uotani chuckled. "See you tomorrow, Tohru."

"You two better keep in line," Hana warned the boys as she left.

"You've got more bodyguards than the President of the United States of America," Hatsuharu noticed with a smirk. "Well, let's get moving. We're gonna be late to the Sohma house if we don't hurry, and I'm not keen on the idea of dealing with Akito."

"Yeah, you've got a point," said Momiji. "Ready to go, Tohru?"

"Sure!" she said. Hatsuharu released Momiji, and the small young man grabbed her hand to lead her away. Hatsuharu took her other hand, and together the two led her through the halls, ignoring the funny looks they got, and out the front door. When their eyes adjusted to the new light, they found Tohru's guide already waiting.

"Aww…" Momiji whined. "I wanted to walk Tohru home!"

"Too bad," Kyo snapped. "You have to go to the Sohma house, don't you? I wouldn't want to piss of Akito by being late."

"Kyo, shouldn't you be at home?" said Tohru concernedly. He glanced at her, and his face softened a little bit.

"I'm fine," he assured her. Then he turned back to the cow and the rabbit. "You guys can go."

"Fine," Momiji sniffed. "Bye-bye, Tohru-kun!"

"Yeah, bye," said Hatsuharu.

"Bye!" Tohru smiled.

"Come on, let's go," said Kyo impatiently.

Without even really thinking about it, he reached out and grabbed her hand, linking their fingers and pulling her away. She stumbled after him, laughing a little. Behind them, Momiji and Hatsuharu stared, amazed and confused, at Kyo's hand, clasped firmly around Tohru's.

"Hatsu-chan," said Momiji after the other two had disappeared from sight. "You saw that too, right?"

"Yeah," nodded the taller boy. "Looks like Kyo found something more important than beating Yuki after all."

"Yay!" squealed Momiji, hopping up and down in excitement.

"That reminds me," the other boy muttered. "Where's Yuki? I wanted to tell him goodbye."


	4. You and Not Her

"Kyo-kun," said Tohru, once they were well away from the school. "Shouldn't you be at home? What if it starts raining again?"

Kyo looked over at her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He held up his left wrist, shaking back the sleeve of his jacket so that she could see the bracelet. She smiled in pleasant surprise, and swung their linked hands back and forth as they walked.

"Kagura gave it back, then?" she checked.

"Not exactly," Kyo muttered. "I took it back."

Tohru looked up at him in surprise.

"You didn't…you didn't _hurt_ her, did you?" she said. It was clear from her tone of voice that she didn't actually think he had, but that she was just double checking.

Kyo shook his head and looked up at the cloudy sky.

"No, even though she deserved it," he grumbled. "I've been on the roof for most of the day. Either she can't get up there, or for once she actually left me alone willingly. I doubt it, though."

"You're much kinder than you give yourself credit for, Kyo-kun," said Tohru with a small smile.

Kyo snorted. "Whatever."

Tohru just smiled and looked ahead. They were almost home. Unconsciously, her footsteps slowed, and her smile faltered. Kyo glanced down at her, a frown creasing his brow. Tohru didn't think he was aware of it, but his fingers tightened around hers.

"What's wrong?" he sighed, pulling her to a stop.

"Huh? Nothing's wrong," she said brightly, putting a smile back on her face. Kyo wasn't sure when he had developed the ability to tell the difference between her true smiles and her fake ones, but he knew instinctively that she was lying this time.

"Yeah right," he said with a roll of his eyes. "You can tell me what's bothering you."

"Well, uhm…" Tohru mumbled, fidgeting awkwardly. "Is Kagura…mad at me?"

Kyo sighed and sat on the wall that ran along the edge of the sidewalk, pulling Tohru with him. He ran his free hand through his mussed-up hair.

"I doubt it," he told her honestly. "I don't know, exactly, but I don't think she has any problem with you. At least, not directly. I was thinking about it for most of the day. If she's mad at anyone, it should be me, 'cause I'm not exactly nice to her, but…"

"She can't be mad at you," Tohru said with a small smile. "She loves you."

"No, she doesn't," he denied immediately. Tohru was startled by his bluntness. He clearly saw the surprise on her face, because he elaborated. "You can't love someone you pity. Kagura just feels bad for me, 'cause I have it worse than the rest of the zodiacs. I think I just make her feel better about herself that way. She doesn't even understand."

"But Kyo-kun…" Tohru murmured. "She accepts you, doesn't she?"

"Acceptance doesn't mean a whole lot, _inside_ the Junishi," Kyo growled. "It's easy to accept freaks when _you're_ a freak, too."

"You're _not_ a freak, Kyo-kun," said Tohru, aghast. Kyo didn't argue, mostly because he didn't feel like expending the energy.

"Anyway, no, she doesn't accept me." Said as he looked up at the sky again. "Not all of me."

"But she said she loves you even in spite of the cat's true form," said Tohru, thoroughly confused.

"That's why I know she doesn't," he said, surprisingly calm. "_In spite of_. Does that really sound like acceptance?"

Tohru opened her mouth, but there was nothing for her to argue. Kyo was right. Loving someone _in spite of_ something that drove them into depression wasn't really love, or acceptance. It was ignoring a big part of that person, and that wasn't love at all.

"She ran away," Kyo said suddenly. His voice was as soft as a whisper. "When she saw my true form, she ran away. We were only little kids. It made sense for her to be scared. But it still hurt. Everyone ran. That's all they did when they saw me. Until my sensei took me in. He didn't shun me. He was the only one that didn't run. I was convinced that I'd never find another person willing to care about me, even after they saw my true form."

Kyo's eyes were watery, and seeing that, Tohru's own eyes began to sting. She couldn't imagine a life like that, where everyone hated and feared you for something you had no power over, for something you had never, ever chosen for yourself. It must have been awful, having no one to turn to for years.

"Then you showed up. Out of the blue, with no idea that my curse was any different than the others. You annoyed me at first, but I got used to you so quickly, I thought I was going crazy. Finally, I'd made another friend. Sure, she didn't know everything, but I was okay with that. For the first time in a long time, I was happy. I was perfectly happy to be with someone who didn't mind that I turned into a stupid, four-legged, fuzzy cat."

Tohru smiled when he looked down at her. They were both crying, he realized.

"When my sensei showed up, I thought it was awesome. I thought I would get to escape living under the same roof as that damn Yuki and that creep Shigure, and go live with my master. But at the same time…Well, I wasn't as happy as I should have been, and he knew it. He told me I'd have to stay put, because I didn't really hate it as much as I said. He was right. Still, I was mad, and when he called me out to the courtyard, I didn't even think about what might happen. It was one thing when he took my bracelet, but it didn't scare me too much, because it was only in front of him, and everyone else already knew about it. I forgot you lived with us until I saw you walking up behind him. When you froze, staring at that monster, I was sure it was all over. That you would never come near me again. So I ran. I had no intention of ever going back there."

His throat felt thick, and he found it harder and harder to say what he needed to.

"But you ran after me. You ran after me even though I knew you had to be scared, even though you had to be repulsed. And when you found me, and I attacked you, trying to scream at you to go away, you didn't. You hugged me and begged me to come back home. I'd never felt something like that before, Tohru. Someone completely outside the Sohma clan seeing my form and not being disgusted. Someone that hugged me, as broken as I was, and begged me to stay. I don't think you really know how much it meant to me, for someone to accept me completely, because it had never happened before."

"Kyo-kun…"

"I think that's the only problem Kagura has with you," he said roughly, looking away and swiping at the moisture on his cheeks. "Because you followed me, when she ran away. You've done everything she wished she had. I think…that she's jealous of you."

"Of me?" said Tohru, mortified. "Why would she be jealous of me? She's pretty and fun and she—"

"Tohru, shut up," Kyo said. Obediently Tohru closed her mouth, but she still looked incredulous.

Kyo swallowed thickly. His heart was pounding in his throat, and his blood was roaring in his ears. He had her full attention. It was now or never. So why couldn't he remember how to talk? Why was he suddenly hyper aware of her hand in his, or the fact that their hips and shoulders were touching?

"I think Kagura's problem is that…is that…" How did he say it?

"What is it, Kyo-kun?" prompted Tohru gently.

"Kagura's jealous because…" He took a deep breath, and let it out in a big rush. "BecauseIloveyouandnother."

Tohru blinked. "What?"

Kyo took another deep breath, and tried to speak more slowly.

"She's jealous because…I love you…and not her."

Shit. Shitshitshit. He'd said it. He'd said it. Now what? _Now what_? He couldn't look at her, so he looked at a spot about a foot above her head. He could still see her stunned expression out of his peripheral vision as she digested what he had just said.

"Kyo…kun…" she murmured, but she didn't seem capable of saying anything else.

The silence was too long. Way, way too long, and it was pressing down on Kyo worse than the weather was. He'd already thrown himself out into the wind, so there was nothing more to lose in his eyes. He leaned down, risking meeting her gaze, and pressed his lips against hers.

She didn't pull back, and thank God, because Kyo didn't think he could handle it if she had. Tohru was warm, and Kyo's hand tightened over hers when she leaned up, eyes drifting close. Without really thinking, Kyo's other hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer. That ended it. Neither of them planned to pull back anytime soon, but he pulled her too close, and in a _poof_ of smoke, a small orange cat fell into the school uniform now pooled on the wall. Tohru opened her eyes, and blinked down at the orange cat. Her cheeks felt very, very warm, and their color reflected that. If cats could blush, Kyo definitely would have been. His tail lashed back and forth, sticking out of one of his jacket sleeves.

"Sorry," Kyo mumbled.

"…you too."

"Huh?"

Tohru fiddled with her thumbs, blushing down at the ground.

"I…I love you, too, Kyo-kun," she said softly.

The cat's ears perked up, and his tail stilled. A funny sound emanated from his chest, and he realized with some embarrassment that he was _purring_. Loudly, like he was a motorcycle engine. Tohru giggled, then picked him up out of his clothes so that she could fold them up. He sat silently on the stone wall, watching as she folded his uniform into a neat pile and took it in her arms. She looked over at him, smiling warmly, and picked him up as well. For once, he didn't argue, and allowed her to carry him, laying out in her arms and closing his eyes. His tail wrapped around her forearm like a live, furry bracelet cuff, and he continued to purr.

* * *

"See, Hatsu-chan? Aren't you glad we followed them anyway?"

"Mm."

* * *

"Yuki, I know you're busy, but you'll never guess what I just saw—" _click_.

_**Ta-da! All done. In case the very end wasn't clear, Momiji and Hatsuharu followed discreetly, and Shigure, who was spying, had called Yuki, but Yuki hung up. Review, pretty please!**_


End file.
